Nuevas Voces Cohort Explores Riverside Park and WRWC’s Green Infrastructure
This week, all 21 members of the fifth Nuevas Voces cohort joined us for the first field trip of the year. Executive Director Alicia Lehrer led the group on a tour of Riverside Park in Olneyville, offering a window into the park’s layered history and the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council’s (WRWC) role in its restoration.
Participants learned how Riverside Park evolved from the site of old mill buildings to a neglected space in the 1970s and 80s and eventually into a restored park thanks to WRWC’s efforts in the 1990s. The tour also highlighted WRWC’s green infrastructure projects in the park, including a bioretention basin, a rain garden, two green roofs, and a bioswale, showcasing innovative ways urban spaces can manage stormwater while providing environmental and social benefits.
Many cohort members live in Olneyville, with roughly 40% from 02909 and another 40% from 02908. Some had visited the park before, while others were seeing it for the first time. Participants reflected on how special it is to have a beautiful, relatively hidden green space nearby, a place where they can take their children to play, enjoy nature, and find a moment of respite from city life.
The Nuevas Voces cohort represents a diverse mix of ages, from 18 to 74, with 95% renters and 85% parents. Experiences like this field trip help members connect with their community, explore local environmental initiatives, and understand the importance of preserving and enhancing public green spaces for everyone.